


Rivers And Roads

by organa



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, gansey is in a coma, noah is dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-10 06:26:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/organa/pseuds/organa
Summary: Ronan without a purpose was burning liquor and fast cars and danger. Adam without a purpose was a spiral, one he didn't know if he would escape. Maybe they can help each other.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here are some things you should know. Adam and Ronan are both 21. They are both three years into school, Adam at community college in Singers Falls and Ronan doing online school. Adam and Ronan never became friends in high school. Enjoy!

To be honest Ronan didn’t know how his life had become this. He thought back to his teenage years not with the nostalgic feeling of the “good ole days”. Ronan’s pre-adult life was by no means pleasant, but he still looked back in time with a feeling of envy. 

If 16-year-old Ronan saw him now he would probably give him a black eye. The old Ronan, with his shaved head, leather jacket and permanent scowl would be ashamed to see him now. Also angry, but old Ronan was always angry. He would be angry at his grown out hair, angry at the button down shirtsleeves that covered his wrists instead of his once iconic leather bracelets, angry that he wasn’t in Henrietta. 

Present Ronan still had a bit of an attitude problem but it hid itself in any situation that didn’t involve Declan. Which, in Ronan’s defense, was pretty fucking difficult given the fact that he happened to work for him.

This had not been his plan, the opposite of it actually. Living in D.C. and working for his brother had seemed like hell on earth five years ago and it still had its moments, but if there was one thing Ronan had gotten better at it was following the rules. If he worked for Declan and did some online school he was allowed to see Matthew and Declan wouldn’t have him committed to some fuck ass psychiatric hospital. He was three years in and his life had regained a semblance of normal, and Ronan couldn’t fucking stand it. 

Why now? Why did he have to start hating his life now? Of course the first year was hard, mostly Declan’s fault, but also kind of Ronan’s fault. Declan shouldn’t have expected him to act fucking civil. With one of his best friends dead and the other in a coma Ronan wasn’t exactly in the mood to put a corporate smile on his face.  
For the first time in months Ronan’s hands itched for his keys, for the thrill of driving a fast car, the taste of whiskey on his tongue and the rolling hills of Virginia. Unfortunately Ronan could only have one of these things. Declan had taken his keys and his car so for the past three years Ronan had become painfully aware of how to navigate D.C. public transportation. The one thing Declan couldn’t stop him from doing was drinking. He was twenty-one now and even before he could always find men in bars willing to buy him a drink. The gay scene in D.C. definitely beat Henrietta’s. 

Ronan’s eyes were glued to the clock as it slowly made it’s way towards 5 o’clock. Two sides of Ronan were at war with each other. One couldn’t wait to get out of the office, away from all these men in suits, but the other wished he worked on the weekends; he was terrified of the 64 hours between the end of work on Friday and beginning of it on Monday, so many hours where Ronan’s mind would turn into his worst enemy. 

To combat this Ronan did what he did every Friday night. He left the office into the humid city and got onto the Metro. The air was heating Ronan’s skin as he entered the wave of people trying to get home. His tie was threatening to suffocate him so he ripped it off, leaving the silk noose on the ground as he finally, finally exited the car. He could see the blinding neon light flashing the word “Babylon” at him. Ronan undid the top three buttons of his maroon dress shirt, entered the bar, and got to work on finding himself a drink. 

The club wasn’t the seediest one Ronan had ever been in, but he couldn’t decide if Declan would be more appalled at the service or the fact that it was gay. It wasn’t long before Ronan could feel the whiskey thrumming through his veins. Drinks had passed into his hands so often he had lost count, his fingers brushing against those of a stranger, their sweat mingling in that single intimate moment, but Ronan never let it go beyond that. 

Ronan felt warm, the good kind of warm this time not the suffocating heat. This warmth was the reassuring flash of lights and bodies dancing around him. Why was he ever worried? He could do this. He could work all week at a job he hated if two nights a week he could feel this taste of freedom. His mind wandered to the dirt of Henrietta and the magic of the Barns, how soft the grass felt when it touched his bare feet. At the time Ronan had felt like Henrietta and Singers Falls alike were boiling over with sadness, but they also held onto the remnants of Ronan’s happiest memories. He had never been happy in D.C. and a couple nights of oblivion weren’t going to change that. 

Suddenly the fog lifted and the illusion was broken. Ronan found himself pushing through the bodies around him and heading towards the bar. He asked for a glass of water and chugged it. He slammed the glass onto the counter and went out into the streets. It was only ten at night but Ronan’s mind told him it must be the middle of the night. Why else would he be feeling like this? He felt irrational and impulsive and hopeful in a way that only the early morning hours brought. Minus the hope, it was how he used to feel all the time, like his blood was bubbling underneath his skin just waiting to burst out. 

He flagged down the nearest cab and gave them the address for his apartment. His apartment was ridiculously expensive and not in the way that Ronan enjoyed. The Barns took money but it also took work. The things bought for it only increased its comfort. This city apartment was a show of unnecessary wealth in its sleek counters and large windows. It reeked of corporate money and it gave Ronan a visceral reaction to be inside of it. 

Ronan had no idea what the fuck he was doing. He tore off his button down shirt and pushed his slacks to the floor. He then elected to pull on a faded green t-shirt and black skinny jeans. He rummaged through the cabinets and found the giant thermos Declan had given him, their company logo gracing the front of it. Ronan dug around in one of his drawers until he found a sharpie and proceeded to aggressively cross out the name. He put a pot of coffee on and shoved a lone box of granola bars he found into a backpack that Matthew had lent him. He (begrudgingly) put his phone charger into the backpack as well. He knew he would have to field a call or twenty from Declan sooner or later. Plus, Matthew had moved all of Ronan’s music from his mp3 player to his phone. Once he was packed he headed to the nearest bus station. 

The bus Ronan was on would only take him about five miles outside of Henrietta at the closest, and definitely wouldn’t get him all the way to Singer’s Falls, but that was fine. As Ronan watched himself get further and further away from the city he felt the coils inside of his chest loosen. He would walk home if he had to. Now that Ronan had finally taken the leap and left there was no stopping him now.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adam's POV this time!!

Adam’s life, he admitted, had become pretty stagnant in the past three years, but if asked an hour ago if anything could surprise him he would’ve said no. Now? Adam would admit that when he looked up at the sound of the bell signaling a new customer he did not expect it to be Ronan Lynch. It was 2am and Ronan Lynch just walked into the diner that he, Adam Parrish, worked at. Mercury must be in retrograde or some shit because Adam’s life just turned upside down.

 

Summer was always an introspective time for Adam. With his 21st birthday only a couple days away Adam had been looking back on the past year of his life, or maybe more like the past 20 years. By no means had Adam had an easy life, to be honest he was lucky he was even alive right now. Knowing this, however, didn’t stop Adam from wishing he was something more. Technically, he had achieved his goal. He got out of Henrietta. Yes, he was only one county away, barely and hour and half’s drive from his old trailer yard, but it was enough. He was at community college in Singers Falls and he had a steady job that he didn’t hate. He also didn’t love it. The passion that Adam had when he would stay up till 3am doing assignments weeks in advance, painstakingly editing essays to perfection, and raising his hand for every answer in class at Aglionby were gone. 

 

The first three years of high school flashed through Adam’s mind at the sight of Ronan again. Intellectually, Adam knew that Ronan didn’t know who he was. Why would he remember the raggedy boy in Latin class that disappeared unannounced the summer before senior year? As Adam spent more time at the Fox Diner he had begun to stop believing in coincidences and start believing in fate, but this moment didn’t feel like either. It didn’t feel real. 

 

Ronan looked good. His hair was longer than it was in high school, gone was his buzz cut and replacing it were the beginnings of curls. Adam realized that he had probably been staring at Ronan for too long and since Ronan wouldn’t know who he was he probably just thought he was a freak.  
“Good morning,” Adam forced himself to speak, “Take a seat and I’ll be with you in a moment.”

 

From behind the counter Adam grabbed a menu and a coffee pot, he also gave himself one more moment to think. He could do this; he could act normal in front of Ronan and not ask him the thousands of questions that were on the tip of his tongue. If Adam was anything he was a master of self-control. 

 

“Here ya go,” Adam placed the menu in front of Ronan, “take as long as you need.” Adam looked at Ronan, their blue eyes locked with each other’s and Adam could feel heat crawling up his neck. He quickly poured the coffee into the yellow mug in front of Ronan and retreated behind the counter. 

 

Adam had been trying really hard to not feel embarrassed about his accent but being around Ronan brought out a gut reaction still lingering from his years at Aglionby. Adam was a different person now and so apparently was Ronan, but he couldn’t think about that, Adam had a job to do. He smoothed his apron down and went back over.

 

“So what can I getcha?” 

“Uhh,” Ronan surprisingly stuttered. His eyes roamed over Adam’s face, his mouth forming a curious frown.

“I can come back or?” Adam started,

“No, no. It’s just you look like someone I used to know. What did you say your name was again?” Ronan’s frown shifted as he asked his question and he looked like he already knew the answer.

“It’s Adam,” he didn’t know why but it came out as a whisper. It felt like he was giving up a secret. 

“Adam Parrish,” Ronan said his name like he couldn’t believe he was there. Not in the surprised way that seeing an old acquaintance brings, but in a voice that felt like he was wondering how lucky he was to find him.

“I’m Ronan Lynch, I don’t know if you remember me.”

“Ronan, of course I remember you. You weren’t exactly a forgettable person.”

Ronan chuckled, “yeah, I guess I wasn’t.” 

“So, your food?” Adam asked, ending the conversation. He didn’t want to know if he was forgettable or not. He was scared of what Ronan might say, but he wasn’t sure which answer he feared the most.

“Oh,” Ronan’s mask seemed to slip back into place. He was composed but he couldn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes, “I’ll just have a waffle, and some more coffee please.”

“Of course. Be right back.” 

Ronan was the only customer in the diner, which was pretty typical since it was now three in the morning, but that just meant there was nowhere for Adam to hide. He wished he knew what Ronan was thinking. Why had he come back? As far as Adam knew he had no family here, but then again, neither did Adam.

Adam didn’t know why he did it, but as he set down Ronan’s waffle he slid into the seat opposite him. Ronan raised a pointed eyebrow at him, but said nothing.  
Ronan proceeded to eat his waffle in silence, only pausing to take sips of his coffee. Adam knew he wasn’t going to win this stand off but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He had so many thoughts in his head his mouth didn’t know which one to say.

 

“So, what brings you back to Virginia?” It was a question that was at once simple and loaded. Adam didn’t know what answer he expected Ronan to give or if he expected an answer at all. What he did not expect was the startled laugh that poured from Ronan’s mouth. Ronan took in Adam’s confused face with slight amusement. 

“Holy shit man stop thinking so much. I can hear the wheels turning in your head from here.“ The boyish language mixed with the five o’clock shadow gave Adam whiplash and all he could do was push out an awkward chuckle.

“To be honest I have no fucking idea why I’m here, it was kind of an impulse decision. Why are you here?”

“I don’t know, I’m just waiting for a reason to leave I guess.”

Adam didn’t know what prompted him to give an honest answer, maybe it was because he remembered something about Ronan that he was certain was still true. Ronan Lynch never lied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! I hope you enjoyed this!

**Author's Note:**

> I will try to post the next chapter by next Sunday!


End file.
